Page 71 of Better than Famous
Groans erupted around the fire and I smiled, sensing this performance had nothing to do with me being here. They were simply including me in their clan.
"I’ll pay you fifty bucks to put that thing back in the case," Braden offered from his log, his arm slung around Tessa.
"Can I see it?" My request silenced the sibling bickering.
Eli blinked, surprised by the interruption. He recovered quickly, flipping the instrument by the neck and offering it out. "It’s out of tune."
As I took the heavy wooden body, the familiarity of the instrument settled my nerves. The strings were thick steel, rough against the pads of my fingers. I plucked the low E string, twisting the tuning peg by ear. I adjusted the remaining strings, finding the sweet spot with familiar precision.
The family watched, quieted by my preparation.
I didn’t play the new song. “The Frame” belonged to the world now, broadcast across millions of screens, and my new PR team was already dropping the single worldwide. Tonight required something different. Tonight belonged to the raw, humid air of the Florida Keys.
My fingers found the opening chords, but I bypassed the upbeat, synth-heavy pop anthem everyone knew. Instead, the stripped-down, aching version of “Neon Heart” drifted from the instrument. It was the exact variation born in the dark living room of Ben’s cottage but now fitted to guitar instead of piano. The crackling fire provided the only percussion.
I sang softly, my voice carrying easily over the crashing waves. Stripped of the studio production, my lyrics transformed into pure, bleeding confession. The pain of the past intertwined with the fierce, unbreakable hope of the present.
As I glanced up from the fretboard, the firelight illuminated their faces. Harper sat perfectly still, her chin resting on her hand. Helen wiped a tear from her eye. Austin and Eli watched with quiet respect. They were hearing the real voice beneath the radio polish, recognizing the talent Nash had tried to bury under auto-tune and glittering distractions.
The final chord rang out, vibrating against the resonant wood of the guitar body. I silenced the strings with my palm.
Absolute silence commanded the beach. The gentle waves filled the quiet gap. A moment later, warm applause erupted from the family.
Eli let out a long whistle, raising his beer in the air. "You can keep the guitar."
Ben pulled me back against his chest, wrapping his arms securely around my waist. The heat of his body soaked through my shirt. After handing the guitar back to Eli, I leaned my head back against his shoulder.
"You’re a show-off," Ben murmured right near my ear, the smile evident in his voice.
"No, I just know my audience."
The party began to wind down. Harper wrangled the sleeping twins into their carriers, while Chase hoisted a half-asleep Finn onto his shoulders. The goodbyes were lingering and full of promises for Sunday dinners I couldn’t wait to attend.
Slipping away from the main cluster, Ben grabbed my hand. We wandered away from the firelight and moved down the beach toward the water’s edge. The cool, wet sand packed firmly under my bare feet. The warm Gulf water rushed forward to wash over my toes in a gentle, rhythmic sweep. Moonlight painted a silver path across the black surface of the ocean.
Ben stopped, pulling me around to face him. The ocean breeze ruffled his hair as he framed my face with his large hands, his thumbs tracing the line of my cheekbones. "You fit right in."
"They make it very easy."
"I meant with me." His gaze burned with an intensity that rivaled the bonfire behind us. "I spent a week walking around a dead house. I’m never doing that again."
"You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried."
He lowered his head. The kiss started slow, a tender exploration that quickly caught fire. My hands slid up his chest, gripping the broad curve of his shoulders. His tongue swept past my teeth, and the gentle lap of the water against our ankles was entirely eclipsed by the sudden, roaring rush of blood in my ears.
Ben’s hands slid down to my waist to pull me flush against his hips. The kiss deepened, and I arched into him, a soft moan vibrating in the back of my throat.
"Hey, lovebirds!" Braden’s voice echoed across the beach, carrying a distinct tone of obnoxious sibling amusement. "We’re trying to pack up the coolers! Keep it PG-13, or I’m calling the paparazzi back!"
Ben broke the kiss with a heavy, frustrated groan. He dropped his forehead against mine, his chest heaving with a harsh breath. "I miss my dead-end road. And my locked doors."
A wicked smile stretched across my mouth. "I miss a few other things about your cottage too."
His eyes went completely dark. He grabbed my hand and hauled me up the beach, moving with sudden, urgent speed.
We shouted quick goodbyes to the remaining family members, dodging Eli’s mocking salute. When we reached the truck, the shadows of sea grapes offered a thick veil of privacy from the dying fire.
Ben spun me around and pinned my back against the heavy metal of the cab. His lips smashed into mine. He devoured me, his hands sliding under the hem of my tank top to grip my bare waist. I gave the heat right back, digging my nails into his scalp, biting his lower lip until he growled into my mouth. The cold metal of the truck provided a perfect contrast to the burning heat of his body pressing into mine.
